No Malaysians affected by van attack in Barcelona - Wisma Putra

The Foreign Ministry confirmed today that no Malaysians were affected by the van attack in Las Ramblas, Barcelona, yesterday that has left at least 14 dead and over 100 injured.

It said in a statement that Malaysia stood firm with the international community in strongly denouncing the brutal act.

Wisma Putra also expressed sympathy for all the family members of the victims of the attack.

It said Malaysians who were in that city and needed consular assistance could contact the Malaysian Embassy at Avenida de Madronos, No. 63-Bis 28043, Madrid, Spain, or call +(34) 91 555 0684 / 91 555 0737 or send an email to mwmadrid@kln.gov.my.

Earlier, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the victims.

News agency reports said the van rammed through crowds in the heart of Barcelona. It was reported that the attackers abandoned the van and fled the scene.

Reuters news agency reported that following the attack, the security authorities launched a special operation to hunt down the attackers.

It also quoted a Catalan police spokeswoman as saying that the police had killed four attackers in Cambrils, south of Barcelona, and seriously injured another following the operation there against what authorities called a terrorist attack.

The Barcelona attack is the worst in Spain since the 2004 Madrid bombings which killed 191 people.

-- BERNAMA